


Midnight Ice Cream

by Eastofthemoon



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Friendship/Love, Heith Week 2017, Hugs, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-15
Updated: 2017-07-15
Packaged: 2018-12-02 13:11:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,802
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11510121
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eastofthemoon/pseuds/Eastofthemoon
Summary: Despite being tired, Hunk just couldn't sleep and discovers neither can Keith.





	Midnight Ice Cream

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this for Heith Week and today's theme was Laughing/Crying. Hope you all like this. ^_^

Hunk yawned as he groggily left his room and made his way into the kitchen. It was late, and he knew with the training they had in the morning he should be asleep, but he couldn’t. Hunk would shut his eyes, only to find himself tossing and turning before opening them again.

He just couldn’t sleep. It felt everything from the last couple of weeks had decided to pile up upon him at once.

The fight with Zarkon. Shiro going missing. Keith taking over the Black Lion, while Allura took over the Red Lion. That Lotor creep now chasing after them. It felt like it had been years since Hunk could fully relax.

Having no other options than to stare at his ceiling, Hunk decided to get a snack. He did have some of those disastrous cookies he baked sill lying around. They would either help Hunk fall asleep, or he just continue to be awake and less hungry.

Hunk entered the kitchen, but stopped when he saw Keith sitting at the table. He barely seemed aware Hunk had entered as he stared into his steaming cup of tea. Hunk cleared his throat to avoid startling him, and Keith raised his head.

Keith blinked and leaned against his hand. “Can’t sleep?”

Hunk shook his head and leaned over the table. “Guessing you can’t either?” 

Keith nodded as he wrapped his fingers around the cup. “Coran said this tea would help, but I don’t think it is.” He ran a hand through his hair. “Too many thoughts in my head.”

“Know the feeling,” Hunk said as folded his arms and tapped his fingers against his elbow. “Been meaning to ask, but..you doing okay?”

Shiro’s disappearance had hurt everyone, but Hunk knew it hit Keith the most. Bad enough Keith was missing the closest person he was with on the team, but then Keith having to take over the Black Lion only felt like it was adding salt to the wound.

They all tried to give Keith space when he clearly needed it, but Hunk couldn’t ignore the worry he felt in his gut whenever he saw him.

Keith forced a small smile. “I’m doing okay.”

Hunk frowned. No, it was clear as day he wasn’t. Bags under his eyes. The forced smiles he’d give them. The hesitation whenever Keith had to step into Black. Keith wasn’t okay. At the very least, he looked exhausted.

Problem was, Keith wouldn’t talk about that kind of stuff unless he felt like it. A person would have better luck getting Zarkon to laugh.

With a sigh, Hunk debated on what to do when his eyes landed upon the miniature freezer he and Pidge had built together. Oh, right, there was that.

Hunk looked back to Keith and pointed a thumb over his shoulder. “You want some ice cream?” 

For the first time in days, Keith raised his head with an expression of bafflement, and not one of grief or sadness. “You have ice cream?”

“Experimental ice cream,” Hunk said as he translated the reaction as a ‘yes’ and took out the container from the freezer. “I’ve been using the milk from Kaltenecker and trying to make a version of it with the other ingredients I’ve been gathering.” 

He set the container between them on the table and rubbed his neck. “I haven’t told anyone else about it yet because I wanted to get the recipe right before letting them taste it.” He counted on his fingers. “First patch was too sweet, second too hard, and the third...well, it just didn’t taste good. This is my fourth batch and I haven’t tried it yet so-”

Keith reached out and grabbed his hands. “Hunk, it’s cool,” he said as he tried to show a genuine smile. “I’m happy to be a guinea pig for it, okay?”

Hunk gave a nod and went to fetch bowls, sporks and a large spork to dish it out. He got a couple of scoops for Keith and then some for himself. Hunk sat across from Keith with his bowl, but didn’t start to eat as he carefully watched Keith’s reaction.

The boy frowned as he saw the ice cream, dished up a sporkful and put it into his mouth. A look a pleasure spread across his face and Keith shut his eyes.

“I swear ice cream has never tasted good until this moment,” he stated.

Hunk chuckled. “You sure you aren’t just saying that because it’s been months since you’ve had ice cream?”

“Maybe,” Keith admitted as he eagerly took another mouthful, “but either way, it’s delicious.”

Hunk was doubtful until he took a bite. He let it linger on his tongue and nodded in approval. It was a tad sweeter than ice cream back home, but it was an improvement over his last attempts.

“It’s a good basic vanilla,” Hunk replied and sighed. “Now if only I could find something like strawberries.”

Keith gave a small smile as he stirred his spork in the dish. “Strawberry ice cream your favorite?”

“Yeah,” Hunk said as he took another mouthful. “Lance’s favorite is chocolate, and Pidge likes a chocolate and peanut butter combo.”

“Figures she would,” Keith said with a small chuckle.

Hunk swallowed his mouthful and tapped his spork against the bowl. “What’s your favorite?”

Keith looked up and rubbed his neck. “I’m..not that picky when it comes to ice cream.”

Hunk narrowed his eyes. “So..you don’t have a favorite flavor?”

Keith waved a hand side to side. “Well..technically I have two but that’s because one of them is harder to find.”

“Oh?” Hunk asked curiously. “What is it?”

Keith stirred is spork as he leaned back. “Well, one favorite is mint chocolate.”

Hunk gave an approving nod. “Yeah, I can see you liking that.” He tilted his head. “But I know that’s easy to find, what’s the other one?”

“Tiger tail,” Keith said as he sounded a little sheepish.

Hunk blinked and pointed his spork at him. “Tiger tail?”

“It’s hard to find,” Keith said as he ate another mouthful. “It’s orange ice cream with black licorice in it.” 

He drew lines with the spork in the air like he was drawing them with invisible paint. “They’re done as black lines in the ice cream so it looks like tiger stripes.”

“Black licorice,” Hunk said slowly as he scratched his head and chuckled. “Sorry dude, but that does NOT sound appetizing to me.”

Keith shrugged. “Most people don’t, but I like it,” he said and then gave a small sad smile. “My last birthday, before Shiro went on the Kerberos mission, he actually found me a small tub of it.”

“Yeah?” Hunk said with a small smile. “What’s Shiro’s favorite flavor?”

Keith smirked a little. “Vanilla.”

Hunk’s jaw dropped. “Dude, no way. Just vanilla?”

“Yes,” Keith said and tossed his hands up in the air with the spork still in his hands. “I use to go to this ice cream parlor with him where they had 50 flavors and he choose vanilla. Everytime!” He shook his head as he crossed his arms. “Drove me crazy and I swear half the time he did it to tease me.”

Hunk pondered that and nodded. “Yeah, he would,” he said and looked to the container. “Guess I’ll make sure to save some of this for him then.”

Keith’s smile dropped and he leaned against his hand. “Yeah..if we can find him.”

Hunk’s eyes softened and he reached over to give Keith a comforting squeeze on his shoulder. “Hey, it’s not an ‘if’. We’re going to find him.”

Keith lowered his gaze as he stared into the bowl. “I know..it’s just,” he shook his head and his grip tightened on this spork. “I lost him once already, and Shiro’s...been the only real family I had for a long time.” 

Keith raised his head, and wiped his eyes with the palm of his hand. “I..I can’t lose him again. I want to believe he’s okay, but..but..I can’t help-”

Hearing that, Hunk put down his spork, went around the table and engulfed Keith into a tight bearhug. He expected Keith to resist, but the boy leaned into him and wrapped his arms around him.

“Look, I don’t know when or how, but we will find him,” Hunk said as he rest his chin on Keith’s head. “And, if the worst happens and we don’t, you’re not alone. You got Allura, Coran, Pidge, Lance and me, okay? We would never abandoned you .”

Keith’s fingers gripped into his shirt and he felt him bury his face into his chest. They said nothing for several moments, until Keith released him.

“Thanks,” he whispered as he gave a shaky smile. “Sorry for..breaking down like that.”

“Hey, man, we all need to sometimes,” Hunk said as he sat next to him and reached for his bowl. “If it helps, if you ever need to talk or just..I don’t know need a hug, you can come to me.” He pointed his spork at him. “I promise I won’t ever judge you.”

Keith nodded and paused as he looked into his bowl. “Then..same to you,” he said with full sincerity. “I’m not good at comforting people, but if you just need an ear to listen to you I’m here.” He gave a small smirk. “And I’ll happily be your food guinea pig again.”

Hunk smiled back as he patted Keith’s back. “Thanks, and I’ll probably take you up on that offer.” He then looked back at the ice cream and sighed. “Man, I feel like this needs something.”

Keith stared at the bowl. “Like...sprinkles?”

“Yeah, but we don’t have any,” Hunk said mournfully.

“What about those cookies you baked the other day?” Keith said as he pointed to the leftovers in the corner. “They were good.”

Hunk snorted. “Also too crumbly,” he said with a wave of his hand. “They break apart as soon as you pick one up.” 

They were a mess. Only reason Hunk didn’t throw them out was that everyone claimed they tasted great and shot dagger filled glares at him for even suggesting of tossing them out.

“Then aren’t they perfect to be ice cream toppings?” Keith offered. “You would want something that you can crumble and sprinkle over easily, right?”

Hunk paused, slowly turned to Keith and grinned as he pulled him into into a bear hug. “Keith, you’re a genius!” he declared as he then launched from his seat and went to get the cookies. “Let’s try it out, and if it’s a success I’ll serve this with dinner tomorrow for dessert.”

Keith gave a smile as he watched Hunk add the cookie topping, and that time Hunk could tell the smile wasn’t forced.


End file.
